1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to commercial baking ovens of the type used in bakeries, restaurants and supermarkets for baking bread and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A commercial baking oven is an insulated cabinet having a plurality of vertically disposed baking compartments separated from one another by decks. Access to the baking compartments is usually through a plurality of glass paneled doors.
In prior art ovens the doors have been hinged at the bottom of a particular compartment, to open outwardly, hinged at the top to open up or hinged at the side. All such oven doors swing outwardly and impinge into the aisle space in front of the oven.
Doors hinged at the top or bottom require that the baker reach over the hot door to insert or remove trays of items to be baked. Mounting a plurality of doors at each baking compartment, so trays of less width than the compartment can be inserted, creates sealing problems on door edge to door edge seals.
Doors hinged at the side eliminate the need to reach over hot doors to insert baking trays. However, such doors require hinges and extend outwardly into an aisle farther than does a top or bottom hinged door.
Some ovens use doors that are analogous to the door on a roll top desk. This door design creates its own problems with heat warping and in requiring ovens to be taller or to have fewer cooking decks for a given height of oven in order to provide storage space for the doors.
Hinged and deck mounted doors as described are hard to keep clean and free of baking debris. The hinges cannot be easily removed for cleaning. Such hinges also require maintenance.